Shadow can handle the back door, which has levers instead of doorknobs. Each closing earns a treat.

[George McGovern]

[Drum]

1. Good dog!

[George McGovern]

2. Thank You Drum! We remind her all the time.

[Drum]

3. It's time I admitted it: I check out all of your photos and love 'em

It looks like a mighty nice life there, George McGovern.

[George McGovern]

6. Well, heck Drum -- thanks for coming clean! I very much appreciate it.

All things considered we do have a nice life here, about halfway between Spokane and Seattle Washington.

[onecaliberal]

4. Good girl! ❤️

[George McGovern]

7. Thank You onecaliberal! She is, most of the time.

[onecaliberal]

9. Dogs are so much better than people.

[George McGovern]

10. That is so true. Do you have a dog?

[onecaliberal]

11. Yes. I have a girl that started out as a foster about 7 months ago.

She is small. Some kind a pug mix. The rescue I donate to called me to ask if I could foster her after being pulled from a high kill shelter. Her papers said she was 11 and a good girl. She truly is the sweetest girl. When I got her she was bewildered and shut down. She was barely eating and had a cough. I know someone loved her because I could see she was taken care of including her teeth. After a few days with her I knew I wasn’t going to be able to let her go. My other baby passed on the day after Christmas. It was awful. She got me through it.

[George McGovern]

12. I cannot imagine how hard it was to lose your other baby.

So really good this girl helped you through it all. It was so wonderful that you saved her from the shelter. And gave her a new life, a loving home. Thank you for telling me.

[happybird]

5. When I was in college, almost taught my yellow lab how to open the fridge and bring beer

Dish towel looped on the door handle as a pull, beer in foam cozies for good, safe grip in the mouth. A cool party trick to add to her repertoire and super handy, as well.

Then we realized: should we really teach her how to get in the fridge??

She was such a smart girl. She definitely would have snagged herself some people food whenever the mood struck.

I love a doggie with skills.

[George McGovern]

8. Ha Ha -- Good thing you reconsidered happybird! She sounds like a wonderful girl. Great memory!

[niyad]

13. Good evening, Shadow. It is a pleasure to see you again, and looking splendid, as always.

Such a clever girl!

[George McGovern]

15. She IS niyad! Whenever you respond to a Shadow post with "looking splendid," I tell her so.

And pet her on and around her furry head. She smiles once in a while, but usually she'll either look at me with love in her eyes or close them and sigh. Sometimes both.

Thanks for your kind comments.

[Duppers]

14. Most impressive!

You taught him that excellent habit?

[George McGovern]

16. Thanks Duppers!! Well, we sort of taught her --

she figured out for herself how to pull down on the lever handle to enter into the house. But then she'd keep on coming with the kitchen door wide open. So, with many "cookies" we coached her on closing the door. And she would, but only after we reminded her to. At first it was almost automatic; Shadow would let herself in, turn around and close the door. Over time, however, she either got lazy or plain forgot and we had to start telllng her, "Close The Door!"

We have the routine pretty well worked out now. And you're right, it is an excellent habit!

[Duppers]

17. Awesome! 😁

[LoisB]

18. So smart.